Dancing in a circle, like an Indian performing a campfire ritual, Rudie blended in with the rest of the rambunctious crowd. The jazz and reggae infused rock music was invigorating, and with every stomp of her feet, the drumming seemed to get louder. It was as if she was becoming one with this unusual music. She had never heard anything like it, but instantly, Rudie knew that she liked this style of music. Her arms flailing haphazardly to the irresistible beat, she began to feel overwhelmed. The mixture of adrenaline, second hand smoke, and exhaustion quickly swept over her. The last thing she remembered was the obnoxious blaring of a trumpet and watching her grey and black moon boots foolishly trip over someone’s strategically placed combat boot, only to fall and hit her head on a table.

The unwelcome alarm greeted Rudie viciously at 5:42 A.M., the alarm shaking her with every pulse. After violently striking her Snooze button, Rudie lie in bed wondering if the night before had been merely a dream. Had it really happened? It took a while before the reality of the previous night finally hit her. She slowly relaxed and sank back into her pillow with a sharp pain instantly shooting throughout most of her body. Blood instantly rushed to her head because of the movements she had made and the injury sent out a blinding pain. She felt stiff all over, and knew that despite the pain, she must go through her day at work, no matter how desperately she wanted to call in, claiming to be sick. Groggily she got out of bed and stumbled to find the light switch in the dark bedroom.